Story Archaeology

The technology of Dían Cécht, Goibniu, Luchta and Creidne Cerd is pivotal in the Battle of Moytura.  As People of Craft, the Túatha Dé Danann treasure the skills of their makers and shapers.

The Story Archaeologists find evidence of their crafting on every stratum of the Battle of Moytura and far beyond.

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Old episodes now available on archive.org.

By The Story Archaeologists.

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello.

"The Dagda Cup" - ceramic, made by Chris Thompson

The Dagda is one of our most enduring mythological characters.  He strides through the tale of Moytura as craftsman and clown, but how much of the story rests in his large lap?

Follow the Track of the Dagda’s Club along with the Story Archaeologists.

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Old episodes now available on archive.org.

By The Story Archaeologists.

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello.

"Lugh, lord of all crafts" - a ceramic sculpture by Daniel Cullen

Lug Lámfhada has a Long Arm indeed, stretching all the way from Continental Celts to the Insular Isles.  His role is central to Cath Maige Tuired, but how does he relate to the other dramatis personae of the tale?

Join the Story Archaeologists as we dust off this iconic hero.

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts!  Related Articles will be posted in the days to come.

Old episodes now available on archive.org.

By The Story Archaeologists.

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello.

Bres by Jim Fitzpatrick

Bres the Beautiful, the Half-Blood Prince of the Túatha Dé Danann, fared little better than his modern literary counterpart.   As the Battle of Moytura draws near, we explore the terrible tale of the king set up to be brought down by meanness and false judgement.

Join the Story Archaeologists as we try to piece together the shattered cup of Bres’ kingship.

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts!  Related Articles will be posted in the days to come.

Old episodes now available on archive.org.

By The Story Archaeologists.

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello.

The Labby Rock in County Sligo: the traditional burial site of Nuada

Nuada Láim Argait, the merchant king with the Silver Arm, leads his people in wisdom and strategy for much of the saga of the Second Battle of Moytura.  He is widely regarded as cognate with the British Celtic god Nodens.  So when and how, mythologically speaking, did he come to Ireland?

This first episode of the second series of Acallam na nÉces takes in the opening sections of the text of Cath Maige Tuired, including the coming of the Dé Danann from the northern islands of the world.  It also covers the first battle, the battle of Southern Moytura where Nuada lost his arm, and how Dían Cécht replaced it with  the famous silver one.

Join the Story Archaeologists in Trench 1 of our biggest dig yet!

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts!  Related Articles will be posted in the days to come.

Old episodes now available on archive.org.

By The Story Archaeologists.

Music; “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello.

An Acallam na nÉces Samhain Special

In this seasonal special, the Story Archaeologists compare two stories of Samhain.  It's a time for ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night... but what could such stories tell us about life 100 or even 1,000 years ago?

Find out as the Story Archaeologists go digging one dark night.

By The Story Archaeologists.

Music: "Tam Lin" by Gian Castello.

References from the Episode

http://archive.org/details/legendsofsaintss00hyde - Legends of Saints and Sinners (Douglas Hyde).http://archive.org/details/fairyandfolktale33887gut - Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry (W. B. Yeats).http://www.celt.dias.ie/publications/celtica/c21.html - Celtica Vol. 21. The journal of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies; School of Celtic Studies (includes the article Echtrae Nerai and its analogues by Seán Ó Coileáin pp. 427–440).

The cairn-mound on Sheebeg (Sídh Beag)

 An Acallam na nÉces Special

In the West of Ireland, every hill is a hollow hill, and every well is a source.  But the hill we live on has many legends.

Join the Story Archaeologists on an aerial survey of the story-scape of Sídh Beag, the Small Fairy Hill.

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By The Story Archaeologists.

Music: "Sheemore and Sheebeg" by Turlough O'Carolan, performed by Rehouven Libine.

Ogham scripts from the Book of Ballymote

 An Acallam na nÉces Special

Many people are familiar with the "Tree Alphabet" or even "Tree Calendar" derived from the ancient Irish Ogham script.  But is this barking up the wrong tree?  Is this really what Ogham was created for?

Peel back the compacted layers of 19th century romanticism and Medieval reconstruction with the Story Archaeologists.

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By The Story Archaeologists.

Music: "Tam Lin" by Gian Castello.

Our Tree Circle - Some Pictures

The tree circle was begun in 1992. The original concept was to place a tree in the centre of each "month" with a second corresponding tree at the start of the period, just outside the circle so as to give the circle depth.

However, the trees are now mature and are real trees not just a written glyph. It is a garden full of living trees. Different species grow at varying rates, and some individual trees do better than others. Some are happier with the environment than others. For instance, one of the birches was attacked by sheep when it was young, and was ringed. Although it is healthy, it will never grow to be a tall tree.

Then, rowans do not like our soil. The two rowans in the circle were hard to establish, and are the only rowans growing on the land; although there are many on the higher land not far away.

Some trees live much longer than others. The oak and yew, for example, will far outlive the alder.

Looking from the Rowan and Ash towards the Alder and Willow.

Looking into the circle from the East,. Here we see the Alder and Willow with the Holly, Hazel and Apple across the circle.

This is the Southeast section of the circle, Bealtaine to Summer Solstice showing the Willow, Hawthorn and Oak

This shows the trees from the Autumn quarter. You can see the Apple and Hazel with the Aspen in the background. The carefully "cropped" Bramble is also visible.

This is the last section around the Samhain period. You can see the Elder and the Blackthorn before the Birch begins the new cycle.

Looking North towards the Blackthorn, Yew and Birch

This may have been an long term experiment in Story Archaeology and it has many uses and applications  but it is. above all, a garden.

Ua na gCait - The Cave of the Cat at Crúachán

Battle-hag.  Nightmare.  Phantom Queen.  The Morrigan has been called all of these.  But is the battle-cry her only anthem?

Uncover the evidence in conversation with the Story Archaeologists.

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By The Story Archaeologists.

Music: "Tam Lin" by Gian Castello.

St. Brigid's Well at Fochard Bríde

Brigid: the much-loved irish saint and the revered Celtic tribal ancestress.  But is there a connection between the two?

Sift through the strata of her story in conversation with the Story Archaeologists.

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By The Story Archaeologists.

Music: "Tam Lin" by Gian Castello.